Barbecue season.

     It's the cusp of spring/summer, and therefore it's outdoor cooking season. I've already had two cookouts - one at home (while late-celebrating Walpurgis Night with some tequila and absinthe) and one at work. This leads to seeing barbecue sauce featured more prominently on shelves.
     Right now, I have two favorites. I just finished an apple whiskey-flavored sauce today. It was damned good! I had it on a pork steak.
     Another favorite I finished a few days ago (cleaning out the fridge), was habanero flavored (no surprise there). It was exceptional. However, I haven't seen it again after I first got it. This Friday, I hope to find it again.
     I plan to cook some pork loin in the crockpot. Once it's moist and tender, then shredded, I'll mix some sauce in it. I'm making myself hungry now...

Chililoaf.

     I think I'm going to try to experiment with different styles of this amazing dish. I've been craving meatloaf lately, and I want to try different types. It's like pizza, chili, borscht, or sushi, in that it has basic ingredients that make it what it is, but there are various regional, familial, and experimental interpretations of it from that starting point.
     Meatloaf, in my view, is a concoction of ground meat (any type), with grain and egg to hold it together. Past that, like I said, there are different styles to go with from there. One way I learned when I was a kid was ground beef, oats, and egg, with cream of mushroom soup mixed in. Tastes like Swiss steak.

     But I discovered a new one! Chili-style! There's the foundation of ground beef, oats, and egg. Then I added 1 medium onion, enough serrano peppers (8000 - 23,000 Scoville units) to match the amount of onion, a medium can of diced tomatoes, a can of whole kernal corn, and a cup of red and black beans. For spices, I added 2 tablespoons of chili powder, a table spoon each of salt and red pepper, and a teaspoon each of garlic powder and cumin.
     After mixing them all together, I baked it at 400* for 1 hour. I had a nibble before work, and I was craving it all evening. After work, I had a helping and was amazed! I'd like to see what it's like to serve it over rice.
     I'm looking forward to trying different ways of chili meatloaf, and blogging more about it. I'm waiting for this years habanero shortage to subside. If I could find hotter peppers, I'd use them. But I digress from the main point; and that main point is that anyone reading this should try it!

A bit of an Asian/Cajun fusion for salmon.

     I made this a few weeks ago. First, I boiled rice. While it boiled, I mixed some oil, paprika, and oregano with some teriyaki, a pinch of cayenne, and some ginger; I created a thick medium to fry with. I brought the medium to a sizzle and put in a nice salmon steak, then later added the rice. It was fantastic! I highly recommend this (especially if you like spicy food). I'd like to experiment more with salmon in the future.

Hibachi Super Buffet

     Raw fish, rice, a vegetable, wrapped in seaweed wafers. It's glorious. It's divine. It's just what the doctor ordered for a heartbroken soul such as myself. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love sushi. And now, I don't have to travel to Evansville for a decent assortment. The place at the north end has been slacking on their variety and cuts. Actually, if I could, I'd have a sushi burrito, like I saw on Facebook.

     So, anyway, the new Hibachi Super Buffet had their grand opening in Vincennes today. I was treated to an awesome sushi bar and noodle/meat grill. I first had a plate and a bowl of hot and sour soup. After that, I went for a second plate of sushi. The chef saw that I liked it and gave me a couple of columns of freshly-made California rolls. I told him he's right; it's one of my favorite foods. So, I had a moment of heaven amidst the craziness of my life: eating one of my favorite foods while checking out "the scenery." ;-)
     There's something strange about wasabi. If you have too little, you can't taste it; just enough, it livens up your sushi; too much, and you feel like ants are drilling into the center of your brain. I mostly kept the wasabi at that happy medium.

     The noodles were good, also. I had lo mein with beef and onion. I had spicy, teriyaki, and garlic. I love that combination, even though they didn't have ginger. At home, I like to boil spaghetti noodles and then fry them with Asian spices. I might make that for my new roommate after I move. Maybe like a "Thanks for Taking Me In" dinner.

Burger of choice

     The Vincennes Steak & Shake has been open for a while now, and now they're 24 hours. I've gone in a few times after work. O.K., enough times where the waitress will automatically ask if I want a Dr. Pepper with chocolate flavoring (I recommend it!).
     But this past week, after a few shots of habanero vodka, Brittany took me to S&S for a snack and I fell in love with an amazing burger: triple pepperjack cheese. Maybe it was the booze, but I mouth-gasmed at every bite.
     I want to tweak this thing! I think the next time I'm going to add onions and some type of pepper in place of pickles.

Habanero vodka? I think yes!

     I found out about this Saturday night. I was out with my friend, Brittany, and she pointed it out to me. I was just so happy that this existed. She treated me to a bottle. I indulged in it after work the next day, and it's amazing.
     To start, it's compatible with whatever chaser you usually use for vodka. It has a bite, as anything habanero-flavored would. For moments after the chaser is swallowed, your mouth retains the habanero bite. When I get some extra money, I would be more than happy to grab another bottle of this. I'd also like to get a list of drink mixes that could go with this.
     Cheers!

My favorite chicken tenders!

     People outside of "urban" areas are confounded by the idea of chicken and waffles. Oh... how they underestimate the exquisite beauty of such a combination! Those restaurants are onto something!
     I have been craving chicken tenders made this way I love making them. You get a good bag of chunky chicken tenders, not those puny strips! Next, coat the bottom of a tupperware dish, then put the tenders in there. Close the lid and shake that son-of-a-bitch up. Get the tenders dusted, like they were dragged through the Martian desert! Cook them, as normal. When you're ready to eat them, dip them in syrup!